Pancha Brahma Upanishad

(Part of the Krishna Yajur Veda)

Introduction:
The Pancha Brahma Upanishad deals with the five fold aspect of Pancha Brahmas (Siva).
The Upanishad explains the significance of the five divinities, namely Sathyojatha,
ghora, !amadeva, Thathp"r"sha and #shana, their respective attri$"tes, f"nctions and
colors. The five fold aspect of Brahman or Siva is represented $y the five sylla$les
hidden in the Pancha%shari mantra, &'a()a(Si(!a(*a.& The Upanishad also reveals the
fact that every form in the "niverse contains the five fold aspect of Brahman and that
+ord Siva exists in the hearts of all $eings.
Translation $y Shri P. ,. ,amachander, reprod"ced with his gracef"l consent
The Upanishad:
-m . )ay /e protect "s $oth together0 may /e no"rish "s $oth together0 )ay we wor%
conjointly with great energy, )ay o"r st"dy $e vigoro"s and effective0 )ay we not
m"t"ally disp"te (or may we not hate any). -m . +et there $e Peace in me . +et there $e
Peace in my environment . +et there $e Peace in the forces that act on me .
Om Shanti ! Shanti ! Shanti !
Sage Pippalada as%ed +ord #shwara, 1-h, 2od, 3hich appeared first45
6or which, the +ord )aheswara replied7
8.The Para Brahma too% shape in stages of Sathyojatha, ghora, !amadeva,
Thathp"r"sha and #shana.
9.Sathyojatha is the aspect of earth and is the S"n, 2oddess +a%shmi, Brahma, the letter
-m, ,ig !eda, 2arhapathyagni (/o"sehold fire), mantras, Saptha Swaras (seven notes)
and yellow colo"r. #t gives all that is wished for.
:.ghora is the aspect of water and is moon, 2oddess Parvathy, *aj"r !eda, $l"e colo"r
of the clo"d, ;a%shinagni (the fire of the so"th) and fifty letters. #t drives away all sins,
destroys all that is evil and grants riches.
<.!amadeva gives great %nowledge and destroys all sins. #t is the aspect of fire, is lights
of crores of s"ns, Sama !eda, eight type of songs, co"rageo"s tone, hwaneeyagni,
power of %nowledge, power to destroy and slightly $lac%ish white colo"r. #t gives f"ll
conscio"sness, r"les over all the three worlds, spread over all the three worlds and grants
all sort of l"c% and res"lts for the action performed.
=.Thathp"r"sha is with eight letters (a, >a, ?ha, Ta, Tha, Pa, *a, Sa) and is in the eight
petal lot"s and is normally s"rro"nded $y air. #t has five fires, protects effects of mantras,
personification of the fifty consonants, has the form of tharva !eda, is the chief of
several crores of 2anas, has the shape which is extremely $ig, red colo"red, gives
whatever is as%ed for, medicine for worry and diseases and the root of Srishti (creation),
Sthithi ("p%eep) and +aya(merging). #t is the $asis of all strengths. #t is the Th"reeya
which is $eyond the three common states and is the thing called Brahman. #t is
worshipped $y Brahma, Shiva and !ishn". #t is the philosophy from which all others
originate.
@.*o" sho"ld "nderstand that #shana is the witness for intelligence and is the activator of
the $rain. #t is the aspect of s%y and cannot $e seen. #t is decorated $y the so"nd of 1-m5.
#t has the shape of all devas. #t is peacef"l. #t is $eyond peace. #t is $eyond so"nd. #t is a
and occ"pies the headship of vowels. #t is the form of Pancha Brahma which is
everywhere and activates the five actions of creation, "p%eep, destr"ction, disappearance
and $lessing. #t hides the Pancha Brahmas within itself and exists as itself and shines
$eyond the Pancha Brahmas $y its light.
#t shines in the $eginning, middle and end witho"t any ca"sative reason. ll those devas
who are all "nder st"por $y the ill"sion of )aheswara wo"ld not "nderstand properly that
)ahadeva who is the teacher of the "niverse, is the ca"se of all ca"ses. /is shape does
not appear $efore the eye. This world is shining $eca"se of that Parathpara P"r"sha in
whom the world exists. #t merges in him. That #shana aspect is the Para Brahman which
is the "pper $o"ndary of peace. The %nowledge that the Para Brhaman is oneself and the
rise of Sathyo Aatam ($irth of tr"th) is Para Brahman. 3hichever is seen or heard is the
so"l of Para Brahman.
The existence in five shapes is called Brahma >arya (activity). fter "nderstanding
Brahma >arya, #shana is appreciated. fter p"tting the fact all that is originating from
Para Brahman in ones so"l, the wise man experiences and "nderstands that 1#t is me5 and
$ecomes Brahman as well as deathless. There is no do"$t that the one who "nderstands
this Brahman $ecomes freed (emancipated).
-ne sho"ld chant the Pancha%shara )antra which is from 'a to *a ('amasivaya) and
which is of the shape of five letters and is +ord ShivaBs $ody. fter "nderstanding the
philosophy of the so"l of Pancha Brahma, -ne sho"ld "nderstand that every form is the
form of those five. -ne who st"dies this %nowledge of the so"l of the Pancha Brahma
wo"ld shine himself as Pancha Brahma. This Upanishad tells that +ord Shiva, who grants
salvation to one, from this day( to(day life of the world, exists as witness witho"t
differentiation in the heart of all $eings and is called /r"dayam (That which exists
within).
-m . )ay /e protect "s $oth together0 may /e no"rish "s $oth together0 )ay we wor%
conjointly with great energy, )ay o"r st"dy $e vigoro"s and effective0 )ay we not
m"t"ally disp"te (or may we not hate any). -m . +et there $e Peace in me . +et there $e
Peace in my environment . +et there $e Peace in the forces that act on me .
/ere ends the Pancha Brahma Upanishad, as contained in the >rishna *aj"r !eda.
Brahma Upanishad is one of the 8CD Upanishads, attached to the >rishna *aj"r !eda.
Bhagavan Pippalada of ngiraBs family answers the E"eries of Sha"na%a, ho"seholder of
fame, regarding the s"preme Brahman who inha$its this physical $ody, which is the
divine city of Brahma. Sha"na%a desired to %now a$o"t the glory of the s"preme self.
Thro"gh the answers provided $y Pippalada, we are advised to $e always aware of the
S"preme Brahman, who is all pervading ( the Brahman who shines within the divine
Brahmap"ra (or $ody) as the fa"ltless -ne, devoid of manifested effects, self(eff"lgent,
all(pervading, that Brahman who controls the Aiva, li%e a spider controlling the %ing of
$ees. Brahma Upanishad concl"des saying that the tman (so"l), or the Self which is
Brahman, pervades the whole "niverse. tman in oneBs self can $e discovered $y one
who searches for it thro"gh tr"th and a"stere practice
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
-m . Sha"na%a, ho"seholder of fame, once as%ed Bhagavan Pippalada of ngiraBs
family7 #n this $ody, the divine city of Brahman, installed, how do they create 4 3hose
glory does this constit"te 4 3ho is he who $ecame all this glory 4
Unto him (Sha"na%a) he (Pippalada) imparted the s"preme 3isdom of Brahman7 That is
Prana, the tman. /e constit"tes the glory of the tman, the life of the ;evas.
/e represents $oth the life and the death of the ;evas. That Brahman who shines within
the divine Brahmap"ra (or $ody) as the fa"ltless -ne, devoid of manifested effects, self(
eff"lgent, all(pervading, /e (it is who) controls (the Aiva), li%e a spider controlling the
%ing of $ees.
A"st as spiders $y means of one thread project and withdraw the we$, so also the Prana,
(who) retires drawing $ac% his creation. Prana $elongs to the 'adis or s"$tle nerve(
chords as their ;evata or indwelling deity. -ne in dreamless sleep goes thro"gh that state
to oneBs own $ode, li%e a falcon and the s%y G j"st as a falcon goes (to its nest) $orne on
the s%y.
/e states7 (( A"st as this ;evadatta (in dreamless sleep) r"ns not away even when str"c%
with a stic%, even so he does not also attach himself to good or evil conseE"ences of the
lifeBs ordained activities0 j"st as a child enjoys itself (spontaneo"sly) witho"t motive or
desiring fr"it, even so this ;evadatta (the s"$ject of dreamless sleep) enjoys happiness in
that state.
/e %nows $eing the +ight S"preme. ;esiring +ight he enjoys the +ight. So also he
ret"rns $y the same way to the dream(state, li%e a leech7 j"st as a leech carries itself on to
the other points in front G (first) fixing "pon the next point. nd that state which he does
not give "p for a next one is called the wa%ing state. (/e carries all these states within
himself) j"st as a (!edic) deity $ears the eight sacrificial c"ps sim"ltaneo"sly.
#t is from /im that the so"rce of the !edas and the ;evas hang li%e $reasts. #n this
wa%ing state partic"larly good and evil o$tain for the shining $eing (i.e. manBs Self) as
ordained. This $eing or Self is f"lly self(extended (into world(forms), he is the indwelling
controller of things and $eings, he is the Bird, the ?ra$, the +ot"s, he is the P"r"sha, the
Prana, the destroyer, the ca"se and the effect, the Brahman and the tman, he is the
;evata ma%ing everything %nown.
3hoever %nows all this attains to the transcendent Brahman, the "nderlying s"pport, the
s"$jective principle.
,ead more........
http7HHwww.celextel.orgH8CD"panishadsH$r...
Asker's Rating & Comment
Than%s. i than% B"ll sir also.
8
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The &BU++& answered : years ago

8. -m . Sha"na%a, ho"seholder of fame, once as%ed Bhagavan Pippalada of
ngiraBs family7 #n this $ody, the divine city of Brahman, installed, how do they
create 4 3hose glory does this constit"te 4 3ho is he who $ecame all this glory 4
9. Unto him (Sha"na%a) he (Pippalada) imparted the s"preme 3isdom of
Brahman7 That is Prana, the tman. /e constit"tes the glory of the tman, the life
of the ;evas. /e represents $oth the life and the death of the ;evas. That
Brahman who shines within the divine Brahmap"ra (or $ody) as the fa"ltless -ne,
devoid of manifested effects, self(eff"lgent, all(pervading, /e (it is who) controls
(the Aiva), li%e a spider controlling the %ing of $ees. A"st as spiders $y means of
one thread project and withdraw the we$, so also the Prana, (who) retires drawing
$ac% his creation.
Prana $elongs to the 'adis or s"$tle nerve(chords as their ;evata or indwelling
deity. -ne in dreamless sleep goes thro"gh that state to oneBs own $ode, li%e a
falcon and the s%y G j"st as a falcon goes (to its nest) $orne on the s%y. /e states7
(( A"st as this ;evadatta (in dreamless sleep) r"ns not away even when str"c% with
a stic%, even so he does not also attach himself to good or evil conseE"ences of
the lifeBs ordained activities0 j"st as a child enjoys itself (spontaneo"sly) witho"t
motive or desiring fr"it, even so this ;evadatta (the s"$ject of dreamless sleep)
enjoys happiness in that state.
/e %nows $eing the +ight S"preme. ;esiring +ight he enjoys the +ight. So also
he ret"rns $y the same way to the dream(state, li%e a leech7 j"st as a leech carries
itself on to the other points in front G (first) fixing "pon the next point. nd that
state which he does not give "p for a next one is called the wa%ing state. (/e
carries all these states within himself) j"st as a (!edic) deity $ears the eight
sacrificial c"ps sim"ltaneo"sly. #t is from /im that the so"rce of the !edas and the
;evas hang li%e $reasts. #n this wa%ing state partic"larly good and evil o$tain for
the shining $eing (i.e. manBs Self) as ordained. This $eing or Self is f"lly self(
extended (into world(forms), he is the indwelling controller of things and $eings,
he is the Bird, the ?ra$, the +ot"s, he is the P"r"sha, the Prana, the destroyer, the
ca"se and the effect, the Brahman and the tman, he is the ;evata ma%ing
everything %nown. 3hoever %nows all this attains to the transcendent Brahman,
the "nderlying s"pport, the s"$jective principle.
:. 'ow this P"r"sha has fo"r seats, the navel, the heart, the throat, and the head.
#n these shines forth the Brahman with fo"r aspects7 the state of wa%ef"lness, of
dream, of dreamless sleep, and the fo"rth or transcendental state. #n the wa%ef"l
state, /e is Brahma0 in the dreaming state, /e is !ishn"0 in dreamless sleep /e is
,"dra0 and the fo"rth state is the S"preme #ndestr"cti$le -ne0 and /e again is the
S"n, the !ishn", the #shwara, /e is the P"r"sha, /e the Prana, /e the Aive or the
animate $eing, /e the 6ire, The #shwara, and the ,esplendent0 (yea) that Brahman
which is transcendent shines within all these .
#n #tself, #t is devoid of mind, of ears, of hands and feet, of light. There neither are
the worlds existing nor non(existing, neither are the !edas or the ;evas or the
sacrifices existing nor non(existing, neither is the mother or father or da"ghter(in(
law existing nor non(existing, neither is ?handalaBs son or P"l%asaBs son existing
nor non(existing, neither is the mendicant existing nor non(existing, so neither all
the creat"res or the ascetics0 and th"s only the -ne /ighest Brahman shines there.
3ithin the recess of the heart is that %asa of conscio"sness G that with many
openings, the aim of %nowledge, within the space of the heart G in which all this
("niverse o"tside) evolves and moves a$o"t, in which all this is warped and
woofed (as it were). (3ho %nows this), %nows f"lly all creation. There the ;evas,
the ,ishis, the Pitris have no control, for $eing f"lly awa%ened, one $ecomes the
%nower of all tr"th.
<. #n the heart the ;evas live, in the heart the Pranas are installed, in the heart
exist the s"preme Prana and +ight as also the immanent ?a"se with threefold
constit"ents and the )ahat principle.
=. #t exists within this heart, that is, in the conscio"sness. 1P"t on the sacrificial
thread which is s"premely sacred, which $ecame manifest of yore with Prajapati
(the first created Being) /imself, which em$odies longevity, eminence and p"rity,
and may it $e strength and p"issance to yo" .5